My Immortal
by NilesDaughter
Summary: After Atem left, he finds it hard to forget about Yugi, and the others. And Yugi finds it difficult to move on, to let Atem leave his memories.


**Disclaimer: I don't own 'Yu-Gi-Oh!', and "My Immortal" belongs to Evanescence.**

_**I'm so tired of being here, suppressed by all my childish fears.**_

_**And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave.**_

_**Cause your presence still lingers here, and it won't leave me alone……**_

Yami Yugi, or Atem, as he had discovered his true name was, rested his chin in the cup of his hand, looking out of the alabaster window. It had been months since he had last seen Yugi and the others, since his _hikari_, his _aibou_, had defeated him in the ceremonial duel, freeing him from the physical plane of existence.

He found it hard to forget them, his friends……If only he could just move on! But he had known them for three years, and they had left a mark, a presence, in his heart……

_**These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real.**_

_**There's just too much that time cannot erase……**_

Yugi Motou found it hard to forget about the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle: Pharaoh, Atem, his _yami_, his _aibou_, his mentor. Yugi looked down, taking note of the painful absence of the golden Puzzle, of his connection to Pharaoh.

"Ya thinkin' about him again, aren't ya, Yuge?" Joey asked.

"Yeah……" Yugi replied, sighing. "It's been five months now, and it's still so hard to forget……"

"We know what you mean, Yugi. The pharaoh was with us for three years. That's not something you can forget easily. If you can forget it at all," Téa said, looking away.

"At least you set him free," Tristan chimed in.

"But was it the right thing to do?" Yugi questioned.

"Of course it was, and don't you doubt that!" Joey insisted.

_**When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears.**_

_**When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears. **_

_**And I held your hand through all of these years.**_

_**But you still have all of me……**_

Atem sighed and stood up, rolling his shoulders around; he had been sitting by the window for so long. He walked along the columned corridors of the palace that mimicked the one from 5,000 years ago. He knew exactly where he was going—to see his friend, Mana. Surely she would understand what he felt, or at least listen to him?

He found her in the garden, attempting to grow lotus blossoms in the pool. She had successfully made one, though it was awfully small. She groaned in frustration when she failed again.

"Just keep trying, Mana. You'll succeed," he said.

Mana jumped and turned to face him. "My Pharaoh! I did not know you were there!"

"Mana, could I speak with you?"

She tilted her head to the side. "About what?"

"About my friends……"

"Oh! You mean the child that looks like a smaller version of you? And his friends?"

Atem nodded.

"What about them?"

"I find myself thinking of them all the time……"

"And…do you want me to prevent you from doing so? If that is your wish, my Pharaoh, then you shall have to speak with Mahado……"

"No, no, not at all. I just want you to listen to me."

Mana nodded. "Then continue."

"I feel as if they are still in my heart, Mana. It's like my mind refuses to move forward—it wishes to dwell on the past. It always reminds me of Yugi, and Téa, and Tristan, and Joey, and Duke, and Serenity, and so many others……"

"They became close to you, did they not?"

"They did."

"Well, my Pharaoh, friendship is not something that is easily forgotten……" Mana said.

_**You used to captivate me by your resonating light.**_

_**Now, I'm bound by the life you left behind.**_

_**Your face, it haunts my once pleasant dreams,**_

_**Your voice, it chased away all the sanity in me.**_

_**These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real.**_

_**There's just too much that time cannot erase……**_

Yugi sat up, wrapping his arms around his knees. He looked around his moonlit bedroom, and sighed sadly.

"It was just another dream……" he murmured to himself.

That had been happening to him a lot lately……The pharaoh often walked his dreams, speaking with him, filling his thoughts with his wisdom, his warm smile……It was so hard to forget him! Had he really been right to send him away? What if they really hadn't been meant to part? What if…? But there was no point in wishing, was there…?

_**When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears.**_

_**When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears.**_

_**And I held your hand through all of these years.**_

_**But you still have all of me……**_

Atem sat on the balcony of his bedchamber, half-naked in the silver moonlight, with his arms wrapped around his knees. He always imagined what it might have been like if he had stayed with Yugi and the others……

It was either that, or he would remember his friends……Yugi's kindness and innocent smile……Joey's enthusiasm……Téa's 'friendship speeches'……Tristan's idiotic, yet humorous, moments……All of his other friends, like Mai and Serenity and Duke and the Ishtars……Why was it so hard to forget…?

_**I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone,**_

_**But though you're still with me, I've been alone all along……**_

Yugi stared up at the moon through his skylight, wondering about the pharaoh……Hoping he was all right……

Atem watched the shadows of the full moon, remembering nights in Yugi's room when they would gaze up the moon, both deep in thought……Was Yugi doing that at that moment…?

_He's gone, and that's that. But he will always be in my heart……_they thought at the same moment, referring to the other.

_**When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears.**_

_**When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears.**_

_**And I held your hand through all of these years.**_

_**But you still have all of me……**_

_**Me……**_

_**Me……**_


End file.
